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ClareR (5674 KP) rated Daughters of War in Books
Oct 27, 2021
Daughters of War is set during the Nazi occupation of France and tells the story of three sisters: Hélène, Elise and Florence.
Hélène, the eldest, is a nurse and does her best to protect her two younger sisters, although Elise is determined to play her part in the Resistance. Florence is happy to hide away in their cottage, longing for the day that France will be free again.
I loved the relationships between the sisters - they’re all sp different from one another - and they pull together in times of need and danger.
And there’s plenty of danger here, both in their village and in the places that Hélène and Elise must go to as their roles in the Resistance dictate.
And the secret they uncover about Florence is pretty shocking and totally unexpected for the sisters.
This was a really enjoyable read on The Pigeonhole. There’s a great mix of emotion, adrenaline and danger. This is the first book in a planned trilogy, and I’m really looking forward to seeing where the sisters go next in the next two books.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and the publisher for serialising this book - I loved it.
Hélène, the eldest, is a nurse and does her best to protect her two younger sisters, although Elise is determined to play her part in the Resistance. Florence is happy to hide away in their cottage, longing for the day that France will be free again.
I loved the relationships between the sisters - they’re all sp different from one another - and they pull together in times of need and danger.
And there’s plenty of danger here, both in their village and in the places that Hélène and Elise must go to as their roles in the Resistance dictate.
And the secret they uncover about Florence is pretty shocking and totally unexpected for the sisters.
This was a really enjoyable read on The Pigeonhole. There’s a great mix of emotion, adrenaline and danger. This is the first book in a planned trilogy, and I’m really looking forward to seeing where the sisters go next in the next two books.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and the publisher for serialising this book - I loved it.
David McK (3369 KP) rated Shield of Thunder (Troy #2) in Books
Jan 8, 2023
The mid part in David Gemmell's final trilogy of books, all of which were a re-telling of the epic story of the Fall of Troy, and which were finished by his wife after he passed away while still writing the final installment ( Fall of Kings).
This is also very much a book of discrete parts, starting by focusing largely on Odysseus in the first section and the new characters of Banokles, Kalliades and Piria, before moving onto Troy proper (and recurring characters from the first book) in the second part and then taking a large jump forward in time to the third (and final) part, when war has broken out between the Greek kingdoms of the 'Great Green'.
For my part, I actually found the first section of the book the most enjoyable; the section that concerned itself mostly with Odysseus. While the next section was necessary to show how the war (eventually) came about, and with third part to show the impact that war would have, I felt that (unfortunately) at times it fell almost too much into that age-old trap for the mid-part of trilogies: all build-up, with no real pay-off.
This is also very much a book of discrete parts, starting by focusing largely on Odysseus in the first section and the new characters of Banokles, Kalliades and Piria, before moving onto Troy proper (and recurring characters from the first book) in the second part and then taking a large jump forward in time to the third (and final) part, when war has broken out between the Greek kingdoms of the 'Great Green'.
For my part, I actually found the first section of the book the most enjoyable; the section that concerned itself mostly with Odysseus. While the next section was necessary to show how the war (eventually) came about, and with third part to show the impact that war would have, I felt that (unfortunately) at times it fell almost too much into that age-old trap for the mid-part of trilogies: all build-up, with no real pay-off.
David McK (3369 KP) rated The Matrix Resurrections (2021) in Movies
Feb 9, 2022 (Updated Oct 1, 2023)
Unnecessary sequel
Summer of 1999.
Pre Millennium.
Just at the start of our current high-tech always-on society.
And The Matrix was released, becoming hugely influential in the process and popularising the concept of 'bullet time'.
Both the sequels (Reloaded and Revolutions) were released during 'the year of the Matrix' in 2003, doubling down on the philosophical ponderings of the first movie (in particular, during Reloaded, with the whole still-to-this-day confusing Architect scenes), with Revolutions also seemingly leaving the trilogy with nowhere to go.
Until nearly 20 years later, when one of the two Wachowski siblings decided to resurrect both Neo and Trinity in this.
I's very much a film of two halves, with the first half in particular hugely self-referential (lots of nods and winks to the audience, and even clips from the earlier films shown on TV screens within the movie), while the second half settles down more into your standard action fare.
Whilst enjoyable enough, it lacks anything to match the sheer pizzaz of the first movie, or even the Freeway chase/burly brawl/chateau fight from the second or the Neo Vs Smith showdown in the third.
Pre Millennium.
Just at the start of our current high-tech always-on society.
And The Matrix was released, becoming hugely influential in the process and popularising the concept of 'bullet time'.
Both the sequels (Reloaded and Revolutions) were released during 'the year of the Matrix' in 2003, doubling down on the philosophical ponderings of the first movie (in particular, during Reloaded, with the whole still-to-this-day confusing Architect scenes), with Revolutions also seemingly leaving the trilogy with nowhere to go.
Until nearly 20 years later, when one of the two Wachowski siblings decided to resurrect both Neo and Trinity in this.
I's very much a film of two halves, with the first half in particular hugely self-referential (lots of nods and winks to the audience, and even clips from the earlier films shown on TV screens within the movie), while the second half settles down more into your standard action fare.
Whilst enjoyable enough, it lacks anything to match the sheer pizzaz of the first movie, or even the Freeway chase/burly brawl/chateau fight from the second or the Neo Vs Smith showdown in the third.
David McK (3369 KP) rated Tenet (2020) in Movies
Sep 30, 2022
Massive letdown from Christopher Nolan
Christopher Nolan has a bit of a name for himself, and a bit of a following.
While I haven't seen all of his films, I have (mostly) quite enjoyed the ones I have seen - The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception, The Prestige, Insomnia, Dunkirk and Interstellar - so it's always an event when he releases a new movie.
This particular one had the mis(?)fortune to be released in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, when large gatherings put health at risk and when cinemas were struggling after being closed for months on end.
I never saw it on the big screen as a result.
Having now seen it (on Amazon Prime), I'm quite glad that I didn't pay (and put my health at risk) to see it in the cinema - honestly, I found it mostly dull, incomprehensible (in that I couldn't make out half the dialogue) and interminable in length, despite the occasional 'money-on-the-screen' sequence
If you want to see a good 'backwards' story, watch the Backwards episode of Red Dwarf (season 3, episode 1) instead.
While I haven't seen all of his films, I have (mostly) quite enjoyed the ones I have seen - The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception, The Prestige, Insomnia, Dunkirk and Interstellar - so it's always an event when he releases a new movie.
This particular one had the mis(?)fortune to be released in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, when large gatherings put health at risk and when cinemas were struggling after being closed for months on end.
I never saw it on the big screen as a result.
Having now seen it (on Amazon Prime), I'm quite glad that I didn't pay (and put my health at risk) to see it in the cinema - honestly, I found it mostly dull, incomprehensible (in that I couldn't make out half the dialogue) and interminable in length, despite the occasional 'money-on-the-screen' sequence
If you want to see a good 'backwards' story, watch the Backwards episode of Red Dwarf (season 3, episode 1) instead.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Evil Dead (2013) in Movies
Jun 26, 2022 (Updated Jun 26, 2022)
The Evil Dead trilogy is beloved by many a horror fan the world over, and rightly so. I wouldn't envy the person who was made responsible for continuing the franchise after Sam Raimi, but Fede Alverez does an admirable job in giving us a film that has its own identity, but still retains the fingerprints of what came before. The first 30 minutes or so are a little cookie-cutter 2010s horror, with plenty of characters that are unlikable, flashes of weirdness here and there, and some questionable dialogue. When everything kicks off though, holy shit, it kicks off. There is no holding back when it comes to the gore and the last 45 minutes move at a break neck pace. It climaxes in a finale that is truly something to behold, sirens blaring, blood raining from the sky, all executed in a hellish fashion. The production values are top notch as well, which ties everything together nicely.
Overall, Evil Dead is a horrifically entertaining remake that goes in its own direction and doesn't give a fuck, and ultimately ensures that there isn't a weak entry in the whole series, something that not many horror franchises can boast.
Overall, Evil Dead is a horrifically entertaining remake that goes in its own direction and doesn't give a fuck, and ultimately ensures that there isn't a weak entry in the whole series, something that not many horror franchises can boast.
The Child Left in the Dark
9.0
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PART TWO OF TAKE HER BACK TRILOGY - The Child Left in the Dark is the follow-up to the stunning, The...
The Voice That Twists the Knife
8.0
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Book
I am the voice in your head coming to twist the knife in the darkness. You took everything from me....
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated The Dark Knight (2008) in Movies
Apr 16, 2018
Not a Masterpiece, but has a Masterful performance
With the DARK KNIGHT, Christopher Nolan kicks his movie's up a notch. His previous films were critical - but not necessarily commercial - successes. With the 2nd of his Batman trilogy, Nolan swings for the seats and in more ways than one, hits a home run.
THE DARK KNIGHT continues the "dark, realistic" Batman story line (based on the Frank Miller Graphic Novels of the same name) that Nolan started with BATMAN BEGINS. This film starts off simply enough - a "James Bond" type of opening action sequence that has Batman tying up some loose ends (specifically regarding the villain Scarecrow), but Nolan (and his brother, the Screenwriter Jonathan Nolan) do a clever thing, they interweave the introduction of a new villain, The Joker, into this universe.
While The Joker commits crime after crime, his real purpose is to bring chaos and anarchy to Gotham City - and he succeeds wonderfully well, despite the attempts of Batman, Alfred, Lucious Fox and Detective Jim Gordon to stop him.
As is befitting a criminal such as The Joker - and also, as befitting a big budget summer tent pole blockbuster film - the stunts of this film are amazing, over-the-top, explosive and LOUD. There are death defying stunts, breathlessly captured, long, screeching car chases (that's a good thing) and fight scenes that are well choreographed and are, by the most part, done "practically" (not with the aid of CGI), including a wonderful stunt of flipping a semi-truck and trailer up in the air and onto it's back by the nose of the truck.
These stunts would mean nothing if there wasn't some folks to root for and get behind - and this film has those characters - and performances - in spades with continued good work from Nolan "Dark Knight Trilogy" regulars Christian Bale (Batman/Bruce Wayne), Detective Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman), Alfred the Butler (Michael Caine, really shining here) and Lucious Fox (Morgan Freeman - a nice character add to this universe for this trilogy). This core really brings the goods, which is good, for the newcomers to this series - Aaron Eckhart's District Attorney Harvey Dent and Maggie Gillenhall taking over the role of Rachel Dawes (from Katie Holmes) are pretty bland in comparison.
But...all of them pale in comparison to the once-in-a-lifetime performance and character of Heath Ledger as The Joker. Ledger, as most of you know, rightfully won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for this role - a rare feat for a "comic book" movie. This is not only the Best Supporting Actor turn for 2008, but I would argue it is one of the best Supporting Actor turns of all-time. Anytime that Ledger is on the screen, your eye goes to him and you lose all sense of anything else that is going on. His look, his tics, his pauses, his vocal patterns, his mannerisms, his walk, ALL convey a sense of the character and added all up, it is quite something to behold.
Many, many have called this their favorite "comic book" film of all time, but I don't think I share that idea. While Nolan spent much of his time on the characters, the "look" of the film and the effects and stunts, he left the story a little too thin and the length of this film is a bit too long, for my tastes. I was most certainly looking at my watch during the "thrilling conclusion" of this film waiting for it to be done.
Now...to be fair...most of the reason for that is that I was exhausted watching Ledger's performance. He wore me out. But...that's a compliment, not a complaint.
Letter Grade: A-
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
THE DARK KNIGHT continues the "dark, realistic" Batman story line (based on the Frank Miller Graphic Novels of the same name) that Nolan started with BATMAN BEGINS. This film starts off simply enough - a "James Bond" type of opening action sequence that has Batman tying up some loose ends (specifically regarding the villain Scarecrow), but Nolan (and his brother, the Screenwriter Jonathan Nolan) do a clever thing, they interweave the introduction of a new villain, The Joker, into this universe.
While The Joker commits crime after crime, his real purpose is to bring chaos and anarchy to Gotham City - and he succeeds wonderfully well, despite the attempts of Batman, Alfred, Lucious Fox and Detective Jim Gordon to stop him.
As is befitting a criminal such as The Joker - and also, as befitting a big budget summer tent pole blockbuster film - the stunts of this film are amazing, over-the-top, explosive and LOUD. There are death defying stunts, breathlessly captured, long, screeching car chases (that's a good thing) and fight scenes that are well choreographed and are, by the most part, done "practically" (not with the aid of CGI), including a wonderful stunt of flipping a semi-truck and trailer up in the air and onto it's back by the nose of the truck.
These stunts would mean nothing if there wasn't some folks to root for and get behind - and this film has those characters - and performances - in spades with continued good work from Nolan "Dark Knight Trilogy" regulars Christian Bale (Batman/Bruce Wayne), Detective Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman), Alfred the Butler (Michael Caine, really shining here) and Lucious Fox (Morgan Freeman - a nice character add to this universe for this trilogy). This core really brings the goods, which is good, for the newcomers to this series - Aaron Eckhart's District Attorney Harvey Dent and Maggie Gillenhall taking over the role of Rachel Dawes (from Katie Holmes) are pretty bland in comparison.
But...all of them pale in comparison to the once-in-a-lifetime performance and character of Heath Ledger as The Joker. Ledger, as most of you know, rightfully won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for this role - a rare feat for a "comic book" movie. This is not only the Best Supporting Actor turn for 2008, but I would argue it is one of the best Supporting Actor turns of all-time. Anytime that Ledger is on the screen, your eye goes to him and you lose all sense of anything else that is going on. His look, his tics, his pauses, his vocal patterns, his mannerisms, his walk, ALL convey a sense of the character and added all up, it is quite something to behold.
Many, many have called this their favorite "comic book" film of all time, but I don't think I share that idea. While Nolan spent much of his time on the characters, the "look" of the film and the effects and stunts, he left the story a little too thin and the length of this film is a bit too long, for my tastes. I was most certainly looking at my watch during the "thrilling conclusion" of this film waiting for it to be done.
Now...to be fair...most of the reason for that is that I was exhausted watching Ledger's performance. He wore me out. But...that's a compliment, not a complaint.
Letter Grade: A-
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
RəX Regent (349 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983) in Movies
Mar 7, 2019
The weakest...
Contains spoilers, click to show
This is often thought of as the weakest of the original trilogy, and whilst I would agree with that, that's not to say that it is bad. The phenomenon which had begun with"Star Wars", six years earlier was about to conclude, or so we thought, with Jedi.
The first film had pioneered the technology and concepts of which to present and achieve such a franchise in the 1970′s and '80′s, and "The Empire Strikes Back" is still the benchmark for part twos, but where this film falls down is that it has sacrificed narrative quality for Lucas' realisation that he could finally do what he wanted, without any hindrance from studios or production limitations.
He had the best of best in visual effects with his Industrial Light and Magic, and he had a vision which had remained unrealised in the previous two films, such as the so called failed Cantina scene in "Star Wars", which is presented here, only this time in the walls of Jabba's palace.
The first half I believe, is George Lucas' real film. Monsters and Muppets, pure fantasy as our heroes wrap up the events of the previous film, and make their daring escape from Jabba the Hutt. The second part is almost a separate film, focusing quite rightly on the Empire and the destruction of the second Death Star. But this plot is very matter of fact, and has no real charm or heart, just epic visuals and a theatrical sense.
Meanwhile, Han Solo and Princess Leia are leading a rebel assault on the forest moon of Endor, populated by the most annoying Muppets of all the dreaded Ewoks! The Ewoks must be one of cinema's greatest misjudgments, the first real misstep in Lucas' handling of the "Star Wars Saga"; but with the prequels and the constant tinkering with the originals, this was to be the thin end of the wedge.
Don't get me wrong, there are plot elements revolving around the Muppets which I liked, such as the nature vs. technology metaphor, but that doesn't excuse the Ewoks and nothing ever will! But elements such as the Speedbike chase and the final battle, all of it, the final Vader/Luke dual, the assault of the Death Star itself, and even the ludicrous Ewok assault, are excellent, visually stunning and exiting and it is enough to save this film from being bogged down by the bad.
And like I said, the money grabbing, almost narratively illiterate George Lucas has damaged and defamed his franchise with his constant tinkering, firstly with the Special Edition in 1997, and then with his Enhanced Special Edition in 2004 for the DVD release.
Lucas is a visionary and has done so much for the film industry and we should be grateful but in the end, he needs to stop milking this franchise, stop pretending that it is never finished, when he has finished it THREE times now and realise that the best of the original trilogy was directed and written by other people, all of which display more talent. Lucas is not a good director but he is a good producer and he has brought this franchise to the screen and the movie industry is better for it. But the Special Editions bring nothing important to the mix, with the exception of the finale, which does carry more scope that 1983 original.
Overall, the weakest of the "Star Wars Trilogy" is a fair assessment and at its worst, it's still leagues above any entry in the prequels, even the Episode III, which is the closest to this high standards of this series.
The first film had pioneered the technology and concepts of which to present and achieve such a franchise in the 1970′s and '80′s, and "The Empire Strikes Back" is still the benchmark for part twos, but where this film falls down is that it has sacrificed narrative quality for Lucas' realisation that he could finally do what he wanted, without any hindrance from studios or production limitations.
He had the best of best in visual effects with his Industrial Light and Magic, and he had a vision which had remained unrealised in the previous two films, such as the so called failed Cantina scene in "Star Wars", which is presented here, only this time in the walls of Jabba's palace.
The first half I believe, is George Lucas' real film. Monsters and Muppets, pure fantasy as our heroes wrap up the events of the previous film, and make their daring escape from Jabba the Hutt. The second part is almost a separate film, focusing quite rightly on the Empire and the destruction of the second Death Star. But this plot is very matter of fact, and has no real charm or heart, just epic visuals and a theatrical sense.
Meanwhile, Han Solo and Princess Leia are leading a rebel assault on the forest moon of Endor, populated by the most annoying Muppets of all the dreaded Ewoks! The Ewoks must be one of cinema's greatest misjudgments, the first real misstep in Lucas' handling of the "Star Wars Saga"; but with the prequels and the constant tinkering with the originals, this was to be the thin end of the wedge.
Don't get me wrong, there are plot elements revolving around the Muppets which I liked, such as the nature vs. technology metaphor, but that doesn't excuse the Ewoks and nothing ever will! But elements such as the Speedbike chase and the final battle, all of it, the final Vader/Luke dual, the assault of the Death Star itself, and even the ludicrous Ewok assault, are excellent, visually stunning and exiting and it is enough to save this film from being bogged down by the bad.
And like I said, the money grabbing, almost narratively illiterate George Lucas has damaged and defamed his franchise with his constant tinkering, firstly with the Special Edition in 1997, and then with his Enhanced Special Edition in 2004 for the DVD release.
Lucas is a visionary and has done so much for the film industry and we should be grateful but in the end, he needs to stop milking this franchise, stop pretending that it is never finished, when he has finished it THREE times now and realise that the best of the original trilogy was directed and written by other people, all of which display more talent. Lucas is not a good director but he is a good producer and he has brought this franchise to the screen and the movie industry is better for it. But the Special Editions bring nothing important to the mix, with the exception of the finale, which does carry more scope that 1983 original.
Overall, the weakest of the "Star Wars Trilogy" is a fair assessment and at its worst, it's still leagues above any entry in the prequels, even the Episode III, which is the closest to this high standards of this series.
The Book of Life is the third book in the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. It is time to finish the war that had begun; only this time our characters find that the amount of people backing them is more than expected. As Diana and Mathew continue trying to take down the existing laws and all they stand for, they gain a huge occasion to celebrate, two new infants, who prove that everything that was once known was wrong and begins to put everyone else into questioning mindsets. With their new information and better understandings about each other and themselves from their previous adventures, Diana and Mathew begin the tedious task of going against century old laws in a very direct way that has their family and friends concerned and willing to fight alongside them, especially when the darkest secret has to be faced once and for all.
Like its predecessors before it, The Book of Life is a well-written book that causes emotions to rise to the surface. Harkness is able to cause the feeling of urgency making the reader want to read faster because it could save a life or change a policy that is in place and needs to be changed. I find this to be surprising and often a bit anxiety ridden because I had grown attached to the characters and hated to feel like danger was around the corner and nothing was going to stop it. And though the book was fast paced and kept me turning pages, I find that I wish a little more time would have been given to some characters in the Congregation. I feel it would have helped the story out a bit, though it would have probably added more pages to the already 500+ page book.
I really enjoyed how the character grew and thought that it did finish the story up with a nice red bow. I could see smaller novels or other adventures the main characters could embark on, but even without it I don’t mind. It was very entertaining. It brought up some major questions into view on survival of creature of all kinds and even answered questions on how vampires, witches and daemons are connected in this storyline. The ideas that The Book of Life present to the reader, helps them appreciate life as it is and really begin to gain some prespective of that of what we question more often than not. Even though it is fiction and these creatures don’t exist, you once again wonder if maybe it could happen. And if it did happen and was happening around us now, would it be like what this delicious story had us to see, or would it be something else.
Though the book kept me thinking and exploring ideas that stemmed off its vision, I find that I am questioning a few smaller details of the characters, even though it had revealed some of those answers, I felt like it could’ve been elaborated on to give the reader a better idea on how the main characters came up with this solution or explanation. Even with the few critiques I have mention, I still rather enjoyed the book and found that only after putting a ton of deep thought into it did I find any issues to begin with.
I would recommend The Book of Life to anyone who has read the first two books in the trilogy. It would create a ton of confusion if you just picked this book up and started reading it without the prior knowledge from the first two books in the All Souls Trilogy. I would rate this book 3 stars out of 4 stars.
Like its predecessors before it, The Book of Life is a well-written book that causes emotions to rise to the surface. Harkness is able to cause the feeling of urgency making the reader want to read faster because it could save a life or change a policy that is in place and needs to be changed. I find this to be surprising and often a bit anxiety ridden because I had grown attached to the characters and hated to feel like danger was around the corner and nothing was going to stop it. And though the book was fast paced and kept me turning pages, I find that I wish a little more time would have been given to some characters in the Congregation. I feel it would have helped the story out a bit, though it would have probably added more pages to the already 500+ page book.
I really enjoyed how the character grew and thought that it did finish the story up with a nice red bow. I could see smaller novels or other adventures the main characters could embark on, but even without it I don’t mind. It was very entertaining. It brought up some major questions into view on survival of creature of all kinds and even answered questions on how vampires, witches and daemons are connected in this storyline. The ideas that The Book of Life present to the reader, helps them appreciate life as it is and really begin to gain some prespective of that of what we question more often than not. Even though it is fiction and these creatures don’t exist, you once again wonder if maybe it could happen. And if it did happen and was happening around us now, would it be like what this delicious story had us to see, or would it be something else.
Though the book kept me thinking and exploring ideas that stemmed off its vision, I find that I am questioning a few smaller details of the characters, even though it had revealed some of those answers, I felt like it could’ve been elaborated on to give the reader a better idea on how the main characters came up with this solution or explanation. Even with the few critiques I have mention, I still rather enjoyed the book and found that only after putting a ton of deep thought into it did I find any issues to begin with.
I would recommend The Book of Life to anyone who has read the first two books in the trilogy. It would create a ton of confusion if you just picked this book up and started reading it without the prior knowledge from the first two books in the All Souls Trilogy. I would rate this book 3 stars out of 4 stars.